Sheet metal two-part door



May 3, 1955 L. s. wElMER 'SHEET METAL Two-PART DOOR Filed Aug. 28, 1950 I N VEN TOR. Z4/1a 5 W62??? cv:

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United States SHEET METALv Two-PART Doon Application August 28, 1950, Serial No. 181,855

1 Claim. (Cl. 189-46) This invention relates to sheet metal doors and more particularly to a door of this type formed of two panels and to the method of making the same.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a sheet metal door formed of two panels, so designed and constructed that the panels may be easily assembled and rigidly united by welding from the exterior thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a two-part door rigidly connected together without the use of separate braces, brackets, or the like, and which can be completely assembled before being painted, enamelled, or otherwise tinished.

A fur-ther object of the invention is to provide a twopart door comprising two sheet metal panels constructed to faciliate assembly and designed to provide proper spacing ofthe assembled panels and to properly align the panel edges for attachment to one another by projection welding.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of constructing a rigid, inexpensive, two-part door assembly from two sheet metal panels without the use of separate internal braces, brackets, and the like.

Various other objects, advantages, and novel details of construction of the invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a door constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 2--2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing the reference character indicates a front panel and 11 indicates a rear panel, which are, in a manner hereinafter described, assembled and united into a rigid door structure designa-ted generally by the reference character 12. The panels 10 and 11 may be drawn from sheet metal by simple press operations.

The front panel 10, as shown, comprises a substantially flat sheet of metal, preferably enameling metal, if the door is to be enameled, having a continuous angularly disposed flange or upturned edge 15 extending around the periphery thereof. The edge flange 15 is substantially normal to the general plane of the surface of the panel 10. Intermediate its edges and preferably adjacent one end thereof, the panel 10 is formed with a dished or recessed portion 16 protruding from the panel 10 toward the back side thereof within the area defined by the edge iiange 15. A door handle (not shown) may be subsequently mounted in this recess 16.

The rear panel 11 which is also drawn from a sheet of metal is provided with an angularly disposed flange or edge 20 extending around the periphery thereof. This edge flange 20 is substantially normal to the general plane of panel 11 and this panel 11 is slightly smaller than panel 10 so that the edge ange 15 of panel 10 will fit over the atent 2,707,535 Patented May 3, 1955 outside surface of the edge flange 20 in a contiguous manner, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The rear panel 11 has a plurality of outwardly extending protrusions or projections 21 formed within the edge flange 20. These protrusions 21 are relatively small and extend only a short distance beyond the outer surface of the edge flange 20 and are adapted to permit a fusion between the edge flanges 20 and 15 by projection welding, as hereinafter described.

The rear panel 11 is also formed with a centrally located recessed or depressed portion 22 which not only gives added strength thereto but serves to position this central portion of the panel 11 in closer proximity to the corresponding area of the front panel 10. This portion 22 is provided with a dished or recessed portion 23 mating with the recessed portion 16 of the panel 10.

For locating and positioning the panels 10 and 11 in proper relation to each other, the panel 11 is provided with a plurality of projections or protnberances 24 formed in `the recessed portion 22 of panel 11 and extending toward panel 10 for abutting engagement therewith when the panels are assembled. These projections 24 act to properly space the panels relative to one another with the recesses 16 and 23 nested and the edge ange 20 of panel 11 in proper telescopic engagement with the edge llange 15 of panel 1t). By locating the projections 24 at widely spaced points, as illustrated in Fig, 1, the panels 10 and 11 are held aligned in proper spaced parallel relation until the panels are rigidly united by welding. Also, in the completed door structure, the engagement of `these projections 24 with the front panel 10 acts to reinforce the structure in the area intermediate the welded periphery lthereof.

With the panels assembled as illustrated in Fig. 2 they are permanently secured together by projection welding at the points where the projections or protrusions 21 are located, these welds being indica-ted about the periphery of the door by the reference character 25. As will be obvious :the parts may be welded together from the exterior of the assembly. All that is necessary is a fixture for holding the assembly which fixture may constitute one electrode of the welding circuit. When the other, preferably a'portable, electrode is engaged with lthe work at the points where the projections 21 are located, the welding circuit will be completed, and a fusion between the edge fianges 15 and 20 will be obtained by projection welding, and the anges will move to substantially abutting relation.

When the rear panel 11 is formed it may be provided with pairs of shallow recesses 26 pierced by apertures 27 to provide for the attachment of hinges, not shown. Also at the corners adjacent the hinge recesses 26 lthe edge ange 20 is offset away from the corresponding corners of the edge flange 15 as indicated at 28. This facilitates assembly of the panels 10 and 11 by eliminating the necessity of intertting these corners. The panel 11 may also have protruding portions 29 formed therein adjacent the door edge opposite to the edge provided with the hinge lreceiving recesses 2.6. These protrusions form bumpers engaging the door jamb when the door is closed. The panel 11 may be further provided with a recess 30 pierced as at 31 to receive a door latch or lock.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that with this invention it is possible to produce a two-part door from drawn sheet metal panels without the aid of separate braces, brackets, or the like. Also the two sheet metal panels are constructed to facilitate assembly and designed to provide proper spacing of the assembled panels and alignment of :the panel edges for attachment to one another by projection welding performed from Ithe exterior of the assembly. The functionally integral door structure 12, thus produced may be treated as a unitary structure and may be coated, enameled, or otherwise nished withn out danger of the finished coat being marred or destroyed.

What is claimed is:

A two-piece rigid door structure constructed Without the aid of separate braces or brackets comprising, separate front and rear sheet metal panels provided with continuous edge anges substantially normal to the planes thereof, said panels being assembled with their edge anges telescoped in contiguous relation to one another, said rear panel being formed with a depressed portion intermediate its edges extending toward said front panel, said front panel and the depressed portion o said rear panel being formed with recesses in nested relation to one another to provide a handle receiving area in said front panel, and a plurality of spaced projections formed on said depressed portion engaging the adjacent face of said front panel for spacing said panels in parallel relation to one another and for reinforcing `the door structure, said panels being rigidly united by projection welding the same along the contiguous portions of said edge flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hunter Jan. 14, 1902 Janes Nov. 3, 1925 VVoehler Feb. 21, 1933 Hostetter et al. Aug. 15, 1933 Matchette Oct. 10, 1933 Faiveley Ian. 3, 1939 Schiff Feb. 18, 1941 Lown et al. Aug. 19, 1941 Clark et al. Sept. 29, 1942 Barler et al Mar. 23, 1948 Meiners et al Nov. 8, 1949 Myer une 5, 1951 

